Miniature lamp holders



Nov. 21, 1967 E, A. GREASLEY MINIATURE LAMP HOLDERS Filed Oct. 8, 1965 IN l ENTOR Em Arthur M86527 5 W W United States Patent Ofifice 3,354,302 Patented Nov. 21, 1967 3,354,302 MINIATURE LAMP HOLDERS Eric Arthur Greasley, Stapleford, England, assignor to Pressac Limited, Long Eaton, England, a British company Filed Oct. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 494,122 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 22, 1965, 16,960/65 2 Claims. (Cl. 240-816) This invention relates to a miniature lamp holder for lamps of the screw or bayonet fixing type and also for capless or pinch type lamps and concerns a holder of the kind having a claw type fixing at its lamp-receiving end for retaining the lamp holder as a snap fit in an opening in an instrument panel, for example, in the dashboard of an automobile.

Broadly, according to the present invention, there is provided a miniature lamp holder made of a synthetic plastics material which is formed at its lamp-receiving end with a plurality of integral axially directed springy fingers each having a rearwardly directed turned back portion spaced from the outer face of the wall of the holder and wherein the outer face of each turned back portion is bulged so as to co-act with a wedging action with the edge of an opening in a panel for receiving the holder, and wherein the holder is provided externally with a circumferential flange for engaging the rear face of said panel and limiting axial displacement of the holder beyond the front face of the panel.

To enable the invention to be clearly understood a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows the holder in section and fitted in an opening in an instrument board, and

FIGURE 2 is a plan view.

Referring to the said drawings, the lamp holder is made of a synthetic plastic material and comprises a body portion 1 fitted internally with contacts (not shown) for engaging the contacts of a lamp inserted into the holder.

The lamp-receiving end of the holder is formed with a plurality of axially directed slots 2 which divide this end of the holder into integral springy claws or fingers 3 and each of these fingers is bent back upon itself as indicated at 4 and these bent back portions are spaced slightly from the outer face of the wall of the holder.

Each of the turned back portions 4 is bulged as shown so that when the holder is fitted in an opening in an instrument panel the elbows 5 of the bulges co-act with a wedging action with the edge of the opening 6 and prevent unintentional axial withdrawal of the holder away from the rear face of the panel, the inner face of the panel being engaged by a circumferential flange 7 formed on the body of the holder, which limits axial displacement of the holder beyond the front face of the panel.

Preferably, as clearly shown in FIGURE 2, the flange comprises a number of arcuate sections and the fingers 3 and their turned back portions 4 extend into the spaces between the arcuate sections 7.

Although the holder illustrated comprises four arcuate sections 7 and four springy fingers 3 it is to be appreciated that the number of fingers can be varied to suit requirements.

When a holder is fitted in position, it is inserted through the opening 6 from the inner side of the panel and the turned back portions 4 are pressed radially inwardly against the influence of their inherent resiliency and in tending to spring back to their original positions they make a tight friction contact with the edge of the opening so as to prevent unintentional displacement of the holder.

I claim:

1. A lamp holder made of a synthetic plastic material and comprising a body part, a plurality of integral axially directed springy fingers provided at the lamp-receiving end of the holder, each of said fingers being formed with a turned back portion spaced from the outer face of the wall of the holder, each of said turned back portions having a bulged outer edge so as to co-act with a wedging action with the edge of an opening in which the holder is fitted, and a circumferential flange on the holder for limiting axial displacement of the holder, beyond the front face of the panel.

2. A lamp holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flange comprises a number of arcuate sections and wherein said fingers and their turned back portions extend into the spaces between the arcuate sections of the flange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 973,568 10/ 1910 Russell 240-152 XR 2,756,403 7/ 1956 Francis et al. 339-128 XR 2,860,233 11/1958 Johnson 240152 XR 2,884,283 4/1959 Korol et al 24827 XR 2,925,488 2/1960 Fraser 24052.1

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A LAMP HOLDER MADE OF A SYNTHETIC PLASTIC MATERIAL AND COMPRISING A BODY PART, A PLURALITY OF INTEGRAL AXIALLY DIRECTED SPRINGY FINGERS PROVIDED AT THE LAMP-RECEIVING END OF THE HOLDER, EACH OF SAID FINGERS BEING FORMED WITH A TURNED BACK PORTION SPACED FROM THE OUTER FACE OF THE WALL OF THE HOLDER, EACH OF SAID TURNED BACK PORTIONS HAVING A BULGED OUTER EDGE SO AS TO CO-ACT WITH A WEDGING ACTION WITH THE EDGE OF AN OPENING IN WHICH THE HOLDER IS FITTED, AND A CIRCUMFERENTIAL FLANGE ON THE HOLDER FOR LIMITING AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE HOLDER, BEYOND THE FRONT FACE OF THE PANEL. 